By Carol Ann Gregg
Allied News Staff Writer
When Slippery Rock Township voters went to bed the evening of May 19, two ballot questions concerning alcohol had gone down to defeat.
The next morning, after absentee ballots were counted expectations were quickly reversed: Both questions had passed.
Voters were to decide if malt and brewed beverage licenses and liquor licenses could be issued in Slippery Rock Township. The results were 240 to 225 and 238 to 231, respectively.
The results had been helped along by Slippery Rock University students. For several years, Dr. Itzi Meztli, assistant English professor at SRU, has worked with students to encourage them to participate in the democratic process. He wants to train them in how to vote and to encourage them to make going to the polls a habit. He did so this year, as well.
“Before every election we conduct a voter registration drive,” Meztli said. “Before the presidential election we registered a lot of students.”
When the students learned that there was a “wet/dry” referendum on the ballot in Slippery Rock Township, they wanted to get involved, the professor said. They collected about 800 signatures on petitions to get the issues on the ballot.
“The students said that if Grove City could pass a wet/dry issue, surely Slippery Rock Township can,” Meztli said.
During the presidential election, about 1,500 students were registered to vote. Because so many students register, the voter registration drive didn’t go as well this spring.
“This year we wanted the students to learn about using an absentee ballot,” Meztli said. The group involved passed out 318 applications for absentee ballots.
Voting by absentee ballot is a multi-step process, the professor said. The students were encouraged to fill out the application and were told that after sending that in, they would receive the absentee ballot. After voting, they were to return the ballot to the Butler County Election Bureau.
“There was about 18 percent that actually voted by absentee,” Meztli said. There were 56 ballots returned to the election bureau. Meztli said that one ballot was denied for a technicality and of the 55 counted, 50 voted “yes” on the issues.
“This experience shows that every vote counts,” he said.
Slippery Rock Township supervisor and manager, John Hines, personally was opposed to passage of both referendums.
Hines believes that university students should not be voting locally but in their home precincts.
He believes that if it was up to the local residents, the referendums wouldn’t have passed.
“We have a good township and I want to keep it that way,” Hines said.
However, Meztli wants students to get in the habit of voting and learn to participate in the democratic process.
“This is the best form of government,” he said.
The professor doesn’t know if anyone has plans for bringing an establishment to the Slippery Rock Township. Currently, Butler County has the maximum number of liquor licenses allowed.
“I don’t think that anyone will be opening anything soon,” he said.
He was not aware of who began the effort to have the issue put on the ballot.
Local businessman and architect, Lee Ligo, said that he had been invited to a meeting of Slippery Rock Township residents that discussed ways to increase economic development in the township.
“I believe that this will equalize the opportunity for economic development for the township,” Ligo said. “Look at what it has done for the borough.”
“It will also allow beer to be sold at Jack Critchfield Field during the Sliders games and that’s a good thing,” Ligo said.
Meztli also looks at the issue as an economic development tool.
Slippery Rock borough passed an alcohol referendum in 2001. Meztli credits this change – which brought new restaurants to Main Street – as instrumental in drawing more business and people to the area.
Mike Bencic, owner and general manager of the Slippery Rock Sliders baseball team, said his attorney has contacted the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to learn the process to receive a permit to sell beer at home games.
“The first two questions I am asked are, ‘When is opening day?’ and ‘Will you be able to sell beer?’” Bencic said.
He added that he understands that nothing can be done until the primary results are certified.
Francesca Chapman, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, said that they have been notified that the referenda in Slippery Rock Township have officially passed. The agency has not received an application yet from Slippery Rock Township, though Chapman said that the Sliders would be applying for a Public Venue License that would permit the sale of beer during baseball games.
The Sliders are playing this weekend at home.
“Butler County is one area where there is an increase in population. Maybe after the 2010 census, the county will be allowed additional licenses,” Meztli said.
Purchase a copy of this article at Allied News, 201A Erie St., Grove City. Published June 13, 2009.
